From January through May of each year, Urban Harvest offers a course series providing all the basics of growing a wide varieties of vegetables in our climate using organic methods. Dr. Bob Randall, author of Year Round Vegetables, Fruits and Flowers for Metro Houston, is one of the lead instructors, and instruction includes special guests with expertise in growing a variety of vegetables. Class topics include organic and ecological approaches, vegetable garden design, organic pest control, and a detailed discussion of selecting, growing and using a large number of vegetables, annual herbs, and fruits. With 25 hours of classroom instruction, and six hours of hands-on instruction, this is by far the most comprehensive organic vegetable course in Texas. Graduates who complete the course become certified Organic Vegetable Specialists.

Permaculture is a design system for creating quality living that is sustainable. It minimizes the need for nonrenewable materials and energy and reduces unnecessary human work. At the same time, it can make many aspects of daily life more enjoyable and comfortable. Since 2000, the Permaculture Guild of Houston has taught a Permaculture Design Certificate Course every other week on weekday nights with an occasional weekend day. In the summer, 2008, we introduced a redesigned certificate course in which all of the instruction is on weekends. In the new system there are five course modules. The content is largely similar to the previous course, but the new one incorporates more hands-on learning. For more information on our Permaculture Designers Certificate click here.

In a total of 25 hours of instruction, this series covers everything you want to know about growing vegetables. Topics include the advantages of organic and ecological approaches over chemicals; vegetable garden design; irrigation and drainage; soil fertility, mulches and composts; organic pest control; seeds, transplants, where to get them and how to plant them. The last half is a detailed discussion of selecting, growing and using the many varieties of vegetables, annual herbs, and melons. Those who complete the class will become Certified Organic Vegetable Specialists.